matthews



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j. MATTHEWS.

SODA WATER FOUNTAIN;

No 260,037. Patented June 27,1882.

;// Jr *P 1 \J III/IA Wifzzesses. I Zzvniar J: MATTHEWS. SODA WATER FOUNTAIN.-

(Model.)

. UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

JOHN MATTHEWS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SODA-WATER. FO UNTAIN.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No..260,037,- dated June 27, 1882.

7 Application filed February 14, 1881. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MATTHEWS, of the city of New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented an ImprovedSoda-Water Fountain, of which the following is'a specification.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved fountain, with the improved stop-cock attaclv ment and clamp in side view. Fig. 2 is aside view, partly in section, of. a modified form of the stop-cock and clamp attachment. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 4 is a cen-' tral longitudinal vertical section of the improved fountain stop-cock and its clamp attachment. Fig.5is a cross-section of the same on theline c 0,.Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a top view of the stop-cock with the gas-clamp attached thereto.

My invention relates to improvements in, the construction of the cooks that are applied to vessels which are known as fountains? for containing soda-water or other carbonated or aerated beverages, and in the accessories thereof; and it consists in a new construction of cock for charging the fountain with the liquid and with the gas and for emptying it, and in a new clamp for joining it'to the. dischargepipe of the dispensing apparatus, and also in a new construction ofthe tube that is'attached' to said cock.

, Thefountainsas heretofore constructed were open to many objcctions as tothe arrangement of the stop-cocks and of the couplings that join them to the pipes of the dispensing apparatus. The fountain-cocks as heretofore constructed were also objectionable for'various reasons, principally because they are provided.

with projecting yalve-spindles that are liable to break off durin g transportation or to be bent out of shape,and that enables careless or dishonest persons to'einpty the fountains of their contents by merely turning the'projecting han dles. Moreover, these stop-cocks caused'a loss of the gas which remains in the fountain after the liquid contents have been discharged, and which, when saved, will prevent'great'loss to the manufacturer of the carbonated liquid. The tubing which projects from the stop-cock into the fountain-body is generally made of block-tin, and liable to be jarred and bent and to injure the lining of the fountain during the act of insertion, and also liable to be broken off at theupper end during the act of insertion if it should come in contact with the lining.

Myinvention consists, as far as the stopcock is concerned, in concealing its working parts entirelyjwithinits shell, so that nothing projects that can be injured by contact during transportation, and so, also, that no one can have access to the contents or open the fount; ain who is not provided with the clamp-key, which alone permits the opening of the cock.

Other features of improvement in my improved stop-cock will be hereinafter more fully described. j

The coupling devices for joining the fountaims to the tubes'of the dispensing apparatus have heretofore been made so that they were very liable to get out of order. Mostly they. consist of swivel-nuts placed over the collars of the dispensing-tubes. Experience shows that these nuts, unless quite correctly placed upon the receiving-nipple of the fountain,would have their threads destroyed, and fail, therefore, to make proper joints, and they soonbecome useless for actual'application. Wrenches and other iustrumentalities were required in making and unmaking the connections, and in the effort the conducting-tube was frequently twisted or broken; Detached clamps are also sometimes employed, which if accidentally mislai d,will'prevent the consumer from mak-' ;ing the necessary connection,

My invention, as to the coupling'device, con sists in providing the conducting-tube with a clamping attachment, which always remains in place on said tube, and which is provided In the accompanying drawings, the letter 13' represents the body of the-fountain.

I isthe shell of the'stop-cock, which shell is provided with a screw-projection, e, that eua bles it. to be screwed into the hung at. This projection carries the tube G. Within this shell is the passage k, that connects the bore wardly, and which bears against a loose follower, 4, that is pressed against a suitable seat in the shell I, as shown in Fig. 4, whenever the valve M is closed by the spring n. Thus the valve, as constructed, cannot be conveniently opened without the use of my improved clamping device, because the valve-spindle is not exposed.

In order to utilize the carbonic-acid gas that remains in the fountain after the liquid portion of the beverage has been withdrawn, and also for the purpose of charging the fountain with gas without removing the stop-cock, I form in the shell I another passage, g, which reaches downward and communicates with the interior of the fountain at a point below the screw-thread of the bung, but above the ordinary line, 2, of the liquid. Into this passage 9, whose outer end enters in a nipple, 9*, (see Fig. 4,) is placed a valve, J, that is held closed by a suitable spring, j, and whose stem or spindle is proi'ided with a cup-leather washer, 5, and loose follower 4, the same as has been described with reference to the valve M, so thatthe valveJ cannot be conveniently opened without the use of my or another suitable clamping device.

Thesmaller valveJ, which, as already stated, permits communication with the top of the fountain, may be used in charging the fountain with carbonic-acid gas; also for main taining a constant pressure of gas in the fountain while the liquid is being drawn out, when such pressure is desirable-as, for example, in bottling operations. This valve I call the gasvalve. The upper and larger valve, M, communicates by the tube G with the lower part of the fountain and by the tube Q with the dispensing apparatus, and is by me called the beverage-valve.

The stop-cock is operated as follows: The fountain having been charged with the carbonated beverage, the liquid portion of the' beverage is forced up in the tube G by the pressure of the gas on top of the liquid; but the liquid is prevented from escaping by the beverage-valve M, which is closed by the spring a. To operate the valve M and draw off the beverage, I attach to the shell I of the stopcock my improved clamp N, and secure it in place by means of the screw P. The clamp N, which may be of bronze or other suitable metal, straddles the shell I, as shown, and has at one end the screw P, which can be turned to bind against one end of the shell I, and

within the screw P, or near it, the screw It,

which, when the clamp is in place, can be brought in contact with the follower 4 of the valve M. The other end of the clamp contains, in a trumpet-shaped guide, I, the end of the condnctingtube Q, and carries said end of said tube in line with the outer end of the liquid-passage k, asis clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The tube Q is attached to the clamp by carrying it through the flaring mouth 8 of the guide I at the top of said clamp, and then securing it to the end 3 of the said clamp. Thus the tube Q is firmly held in the canal-shaped or trumpet-shaped cavity of the clamp, and when the clamp is attached to the shell I of the cock it will establish communication between the tube Q and the passage k. Upon turning the screw R the follower 4 is forced inward, and with it the washer 5 and the valve-spindle M, thus allowing the liquid to escape. To release the clamp the valve M is first closed by unscrewing the screw It, and then the clamp is loosened from the stop-cock by unscrewing the screw P.

7 and 9 are guide-projections on the under edge of the clamp, which are intended to rest upon the shell I and to permit the axis of the screw P to be brought in line with that of the valve-spindle M.

In my improved clamp N, for connecting the conducting-tube to the fountain stop-cock, the objections to the coupling or clamping devices now in use, some of which objections I have already mentioned, are entirelyovercome. My improved clamp is complete in itself. No part of it travels with the fountain. It is rigid and strong, requires no wrench to operate it, and is attached in such a manner to the conductingtube Q that the latter is continuous to the outlet of the stop-cock. A similar clamp, L, which is more clearly shown in Fig. 6, and in section in Fig. 4, is used to connect the passage 9 with the gas-reservoir, that connects by suitable tube with the nipplej ot' the clamp L. The clamp L is held fast to the shell I of the stopcock by means of a tubular or other screw, i, and has a screw, m, for moving the vvalve J, so as to establish communication when said valve J is opened between the end g" of the passage 9 and the nipplej".

In Figs. 2 and 3 is shown a modification of the clamp N, when the same is intended for application to a stop-cock, carrying a projecting spindle, but otherwise altered to adapt to my clamp. In this modified form the clamp carrying the tube Q and clamping-screw P is fastened to the shell of the fountain-cock in such manner that the tube Q will communicate with the channel leading to the tube G. The opening and closing of the valve is in this case effected by the valve-screw W, which here is a part of the cock, and remains therein, while in my preferred form the valve-screw forms part of the clamp and works within the clampingscrew, as already described. When the clamp is adjusted in position the valve-screw W may be turned to open the valve and allow the liquid to flow into or out from the fountain through the internal tube, G.

Instead of using two clamps, N and L, on the stop-cock having the two valves, M and J, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, a single clamp, havingthc screws R and m in line, respectively, with said valves, will in many cases be preferable, especially for charging the fountain with liquid and with gas; but the'consumer should receive only the clamp N, having the screw R for opening the beverage-valve, as in his hands the gas-valve should be always closed.

The tube G, which is attached to the fountain stop-cock, is constructed in such amanner as to overcome the objections to the fountain-tubes now in use.

To prevent injury to the lining of the fount-.

'G is made conical, being thicker toward the top, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This conical portion is in suitable manner joined to the lower cylindrical portion, b. The larger end of the tube G, which is also, according to my construction, the strongest end, is attached to the stop-cock, and serves to guide the screwthread 0 of the stop-cock to its place preparatory to screwing it into the fountain-bun g.

By constructing the tube Gas described great rigidity is attained, and as the upper portion may be easily cast in a mold it is, if-at all, but very little more expensive than the ordinary plain flexible tubing.

I claim- 1. The clamp N, provided with channel lfor the pipe Q, and with the fasteningscrew P, substantially as described.

2. The clamp N, provided with means for attaching it to the pipe Q, and with clampingscrew P and valve screw R, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the pipe Q with the clamp N, fountain -cock I, and fountain, the clamp carrying the meansibropeningthefountain-cock, substantially as described.

On the contrary, if it should strike the v 4. The combination of the fountain E and fountain-cocktI with the valves M and J, having spindles concealed within the shell of the cock,.said shell having passages 70 and g, which are respectively closed by said valves and communicate with said fountain, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the fountain E, the fountain cock I, having valve-spindle J and passage 9, which leads into the upper part of the fountain, the stem of the valve-spindle J being concealed, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the clamps N with the fountain-cock having two concealed valvespindles, substantially as specified.

7. A-soda-water fountain combined with the gas-cock and the concealed spring-valve J thereof, and with the fountain-cock, substantially as herein shown and described.

8. A soda-water fountain combined with the valve M, and with the valve J, and with the springs n and j for operating said valves, all concealed in the shell I of the cock, substantially as herein shown and described.

9. In combination with a fountain havinga gas-cock and a fountain-cock, the tube carrying clamps L and N, and their screws m and R for opening the valves in said cocks, substantially as herein shown and described. 10. The clamp N, having one or more guidepieces, 7 and 9, and provided with a screw, 1?, at one end and tube-holding nozzle 3 at the other end, substantially as described.

11. The valve M, combined in the shell I, with its actuating'springnat one end, and with the packing-piece 5 and follower 4 atthe other end, substantially as described.

12. The tube G, suspended from the stopcock, aud constructed with the bulbous en- JOHN MATTHEWS.

Witnesses:

H. P. BAFTERY, JOHN STEVENS. 

